The One Gift a Mother Can’t Return

I’m feeling awful right now. My kids have done it again. There is a gift they love to share, no matter how much I refuse it. Not that I have much choice in the matter.

They begin by getting feverish and wanting to be held, each breath spreading sickness-laden germs onto my body. Then the coughing and sneezing start. They make sure they aim for my face each time a cough or sneeze comes. I turn, I try to hide. I actually do hide. I tuck them into bed to keep myself safe. But it doesn’t work.

Like clockwork, as soon as their colds are ending, mine is just beginning. And it hits me hard. You know, as in drippy nose, painful sinus hard. I can’t work, can’t breathe. Yet they continue on as ever: “Mama, I want a story!” “He won’t share his toys.” “She’s taking my animals!” “No, Lila, don’t!” Hit, smack, cry, scream. “Mama!”

I bury my head and try to plug my ears as the noise continues. (And it is’t just them. Some guys are tearing down a house behind us using sledgehammers and a jackhammer.The noise has been going on for two days. Hello? Haven’t you guys ever heard of a wrecking ball? Just smash the place and be done with it!)

Yesterday I knew the cold was coming. By the evening it was here in full force. Logan and Lila didn’t nap, so bedtime was early, as in they were in bed and asleep before 9 p.m. I showered, just to try to relax, but my nose wouldn’t stop running and the pain in my sinus was growing. I had some vodka to try to knock myself out and went to bed.

Glad offered to get up with the kids so I could sleep in, so I turned my alarm off and tried to will myself to sleep even though I could hardly breathe. Around 4:30 I woke up so uncomfortable. Logan had squished himself in bed between us and Glad was taking up more than his share of the bed so I had no space to sleep in.

I carried Logan back to his bed, only to find Scarlett wide awake and up. I asked her what she was doing and she ran to the kitchen, asking for milk. Huh? It’s the middle of the night, girl! Gave her some, which she gulped down, then she ran to my bed. I tried to protest but felt to sick to do so. There I was, squished again. But it didn’t last long. As soon as she was asleep I moved her.

I tried to fall asleep again but my nose wouldn’t let me, not to mention that I was now wide awake and my brain was busy thinking up stuff to keep me from sleeping. Of course it wasn’t long before I felt someone crawl into bed by my feet. Lila. Great. Ok, I’m destined to not sleep. And to top it off, I started getting hungry and dreaming of hot soup that we didn’t have.

At some point I did sleep and slept until 8:30. Of course Glad getting up with the kids only meant that he kept them away from me for the short time they were awake. They hadn’t had breakfast and had to leave for school in 1/2 an hour. Right. So I made them a quick breakfast, got them ready to go, packed their snacks, etc. … and plopped down on the couch to watch t.v. just a soon as they left. No housework today.

Well, I did make myself some soup. I had some frozen chicken broth, and I used that along with some roughly chopped veggies to make a soothing, nourishing vegetable soup. Once cooked I blended the whole thing, since I wanted to drink it and not chew it. It’s lovely and I’m finally feeling a little better.

Oh, and I gave in and tried Glad’s cure: brandy. I hate the taste but it is soothing so I endured through maybe 4 mouth fulls, taken in tiny sips, of course.

Now the kids are in bed for naps – hopefully they will actually sleep – and I’m off to chill in front of the t.v. until I’m needed again. 🙂 Cool. I never get to do this. Maybe I should get sick more often. After all, this is what the rest of them do when they are sick.

What do you do when you get sick but can’t stop to rest? How do you handle it?